AEN-89

Biodiesel Basics
Czarena Crofcheck, Tim Stombaugh, Mike Montross, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Quick Biodiesel Facts

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel for diesel engines. Biodiesel,
defined by ASTM International (D6751), consists of long-
chain fatty acid alkyl esters and is made from renewable
vegetable oils, recycled cooking oils, or animal fats. It can
be used at full strength, but it is typically blended with
petroleum diesel. A blend of 2 percent biodiesel and 98
percent diesel is referred to as B2. Other typical blends
include B5, B10, and B20; pure biodiesel is sometimes
referred to as B100. Biodiesel is safer for the environment
and produces significantly less air pollution compared to
petroleum diesel. Biodiesel can be produced locally and can
be integrated into the existing petroleum infrastructure.

How Is Biodiesel Made?

Biodiesel can be made from vegetable oils, recycled cook-
ing oils, or animal fats. The vegetable oil could be from
soybeans, canola, cottonseeds, sunflowers, or peanuts.
Recycled cooking oil can also be converted into biodiesel,
which means we’re converting a waste product into a value-
added product. There are slight processing modifications
that may need to take place depending on the properties of
the input oils and fats. One great advantage of the biodiesel
process is that there are no waste products to be disposed
of. Everything that comes out of the process can be reused
in a future batch or sold as a product.
The process of making biodiesel starts with the addition
of vegetable oil, catalyst, and methanol into a reactor. The
oil and methanol are converted to biodiesel and glycerin
through a process called transesterification. The biodiesel
and glycerin are separated and further processed so that
the result is a biodiesel product, which meets government
For every 100 pounds of oil
and 10 lbs of methanol, the
transesterification will yield
100 pounds of biodiesel
and 10 pounds of glycerin.
fuel standards, and a crude glycerin product. The resulting
crude glycerin will be refined further into a more concen-
trated material and can be used in health care products,
rubber, moisture enhancers, or even applied to surfaces
for dust control.
Why Use Biodiesel?
There are multiple benefits to using biodiesel compared to
using petroleum diesel.
• Using biodiesel decreases this dependency on foreign
oil. In 2004, 58 percent of petroleum in the United States
was imported from foreign countries, while there were
raw materials available across the nation to produce
enough biodiesel to displace 5% of the petroleum diesel
used in this country.
• Using biodiesel increases revenue for U.S. farmers and
rural communities.
• Biodiesel improves air quality, which makes the envi-
ronment healthier for our communities.
• Biodiesel contains more energy than what was used to
produce it. For every one unit of energy that goes into
making a gallon of biodiesel, 3.24 units of energy are
stored for future use. For every one unit of energy that
is used to make a gallon of petroleum diesel, only 0.83
units of energy (0.17 less than the amount of energy
used to produce the fuel) are stored for future use.
Biodiesel Economics
Traditionally, a blend of biodiesel would cost one penny
more than petroleum diesel for each percent of biodiesel
blended, such that a B20 blend would cost 20 cents more
than petroleum diesel per gallon. More recently, the price of
petroleum diesel has increased, sometimes making it more
expensive than pure biodiesel. The difference in price is
also directly related to current tax incentives and credits.
Biodiesel can have a significant economic impact for
Kentucky, according to a recently completed study at
Murray State University. By using a 5-percent biodiesel
blend across Kentucky, soybean processing capacity would
increase by 158 percent, adding $571 million dollars to
Kentucky’s economy as well as 3,020 new jobs. Total tax
revenue would be increased by $68.5 million.
Biodiesel and Community Health
You don’t have to take too many deep breaths behind a
vehicle using petroleum diesel to be able to appreciate that
cleaner exhaust would be beneficial. The exhaust emis-
sions of particulate matter, typically referred to as soot,
are a recognized contributor to respiratory disease. When
using pure biodiesel, particulate matter decreases by 30
percent. In addition, the exhaust emissions of suspected
carcinogenic compounds are substantially reduced for
biodiesel compared to petroleum diesel.
Biodiesel degrades in the environment
as fast as sugar and is 10 times less toxic
than table salt.
Studies have shown that petroleum diesel exhaust adversely
affects children with asthma and bronchitis and increases
the effects of some allergens. Using biodiesel would lessen
these effects. Biodiesel was the first renewable fuel to suc-
cessfully complete the Environmental Protection Agency
required Health Effects Testing. EPA’s clinical studies,
which study the toxicity of fuels, showed no adverse health
effects with B100, pure Biodiesel.
Actually, the same compound that’s used in biodiesel – fatty
acid methyl esters – is listed as an animal feed additive
with the Food and Drug Administration.

Reduced Environmental Impact
As concentrations of greenhouse gases in the environment
have been increasing, we need to find ways to decrease
man’s impact on the environment. Biodiesel is safe for the
environment and produces less air pollution compared to
petroleum diesel.
When using pure biodiesel, the exhaust emissions of car-
bon monoxide (a poisonous gas and a factor in local smog
formation) are 50 percent lower than when using petroleum
diesel. The exhaust emissions of hydrocarbons, which also
contribute to smog formation, are 95 percent lower.
The exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides (Sox) and sulfates,
which are major components of acid rain, from biodie-
sel are almost completely eliminated. However, studies
have shown that the nitric oxide (No x) emissions are
increased.
Biodiesel can actually be used as a
solvent to clean up oil spills.
Using Biodiesel Basics
Biodiesel has a higher cetane rating than petroleum diesel.
The cetane number is an indication of how well the fuel
will ignite when it is compressed, which is the fundamental
operating principle of a compression ignition (diesel) en-
gine. Cetane is analogous to the octane rating of gasoline.
The higher cetane of biodiesel can help an engine with
cold starting and with reduction of noise at lower RPM’s.
However, if the cetane of the fuel gets too high, some en-
gines may experience problems. The fuel may ignite before
it is completely mixed with the air in the engine cylinder,
which could cause incomplete combustion and an increase
in undesirable emissions.
Pure biodiesel (B100) has a slightly lower (5 to 8 percent)
energy content per gallon than petroleum diesel. While the
energy loss in lower blends of biodiesel is relatively small,
users may experience a slight power loss with biodiesel.
Biodiesel has high lubricity and reduces friction in your
engine. This will become even more important when ul-
tra low sulfur diesel is mandated in 2006, because sulfur
provides lubricity. By adding just 1 percent biodiesel to
ultra low sulfur diesel, the lubricity is increased to a sat-
isfactory level. Additives could be used to accomplish the
same thing, but by adding biodiesel we’re adding a fuel
not just an additive.
A B2 biodiesel blend has roughly the same cold flow prop-
erties as petroleum diesel, while B20 will increase the gel
point by 3 to 5° F. B20 has been successfully used in cold
weather temperatures down to -13° C by utilizing the same
winterizing steps taken when using petroleum diesel.
Biodiesel is very safe and nonflammable. However, rags
soaked in biodiesel should still be stored in a safety can or
dried individually before being disposed of.
Biodiesel has outstanding cleaning properties and will
clean your fuel tank and lines. For this reason, it is recom-
mended that fuel filters should be monitored and may need
to be changed after the first tank of biodiesel.
Using pure biodiesel, B100, can degrade natural rubber,
which may affect an engine’s gaskets, seals, and hoses.
However, this shouldn’t cause a problem with the lower
biodiesel blends, specifically B20 or less. If a higher biodie-
sel blend is desired, natural rubber engine components may
need to be replaced more often. Gaskets, seals, and hoses
made of Viton are compatible with biodiesel. If you’re
concerned, check with your manufacturer.
Overall, biodiesel is safer than petroleum diesel to use,
handle, and store. Manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Cum-
mins, Detroit Diesel, International, Ford, DaimlerChrysler,
General Motors, and John Deere will recommend up to
B5. Higher blends, though not recommended at this time,
will not void engine warranties. If you have any concerns,
check with the individual manufacturers.
A companion publication to this one (AEN-90) contains an-
swers to questions commonly asked by biodiesel users.

Where Is Biodiesel
Made and Sold in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, motor fuels inspection and testing are
administered by the Kentucky Department of Agri-
culture, Division of Regulation and Inspection. The
Commonwealth’s regulations specify that ASTM
standards, supplements, and revisions shall be ap-
plied to ensure compliance with Kentucky Statutes.
The Division tests motor fuels to ensure that the
quality of the fuel meets Kentucky law and ASTM
standards. For more information consult the Kentucky
Office of Energy Policy (www.energy.ky.gov).
In Kentucky, Griffin Industries has a biodiesel plant
in Butler. Biodiesel is available from retailers across
Kentucky, shown in the map below (provided by the
Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition, December 2005). For
updated maps, consult <www.kentuckycleanfuels.org>
or <www.kysoy.org>.
Who Is Using Biodiesel in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, public school districts, universities, national
and state parks, local governments, and the Transpor-
tation Cabinet are using biodiesel blends. Across the
country, users include the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S.
Postal Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and
our armed services. Minnesota has a statewide mandate
that all diesel fuel sold will contain 2 percent biodiesel,
effective June 2005.
In addition to being used in diesel engines, biodiesel blends
can also be used in off-road equipment, agriculture ve-
hicles, locomotives, and marine vehicles and as a heating
oil in stationary generators and boiler applications.

Other References:
National Biodiesel Board (www.biodiesel.org)
Kentucky Soybean Board (www.kysoy.org)
Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition
(www.kentuckycleanfuels.org)
Kentucky Office of Energy Policy (www.energy.ky.gov)
Griffin Industries Inc. (www.biog3000.com)
2004 Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines (www.osti.
gov/bridge). Search for DOE/GO-102004-1999
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/
biodiesel.html)

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May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, M. Scott Smith, Director of Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, and Ken-
tucky State University, Frankfort. Copyright © 2006 for materials developed by University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or
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Issued 4-2006